Senior Cost Engineer

Clayco; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary annual bonus

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Clayco, a full-service real estate development and construction firm, seeks a Senior Project Cost Engineer in Chicago to support the project's financial strategy, budgeting, and forecasting. You will manage costs, change orders, billings, and risk reporting, working directly with the project management team.

You will generate reports, identify variances, and maintain cost control processes while collaborating with management, subcontractors, and clients. Travel nationwide may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or related field.
• 3–5 years of project cost engineering experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in the construction industry.
• Knowledge of project development stages, procurement, project controls, and construction execution practices.
• Working knowledge of PMWeb or similar project portfolio management tools, DataServ, Excel, JD Edwards, or related programs.
• Effective problem-solving skills and a results-oriented mindset.
• Travel to sites nationwide may be required.

Responsibilities

• Understand total project cost, budget allowances, and targets.
• Review documents to identify, develop, and track change orders and estimates; communicate impacts to targets.
• Coordinate with accounting to ensure accurate billings, payments, and cost data.
• Collaborate with PM team, executives, subcontractors, and clients as needed.
• Own cost engineering, estimation, analysis, and control activities for complex or proposal work.
• Ensure quality, accuracy, and transparency in all cost reporting.

Skills

Cost engineering

Cost estimation

Cost analysis

Project controls

Budget management

Reporting

Change orders

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering/Construction Management

Tools

PMWeb

DataServ

Excel

JD Edwards

Job description

Company Overview

Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $5.8 billion in revenue for 2023, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential related building projects.

The Role We Want You For

As a Senior Project Cost Engineer, you will assist in the development and management of the project financial strategy. You will be working directly with the project management team to manage the project budget, costs, change orders, pricing requests, billings, and forecasts. You will be responsible for generating and maintaining reports that provide information to different groups, work with the management team to identify variances and risks, and maintain quality control processes to improve project cost procedures and ensure conformity with management's strategy.

Responsibilities

• Work with all project disciplines to ensure understanding of total project cost, budget allowances, and targets.
• Review project documents and specifications to accurately identify, develop, and track requests for change orders (owner and subcontractor related), baseline estimates, potential risk exposures, while communicating potential impacts to financial targets, schedule, and overall project management process.
• Work closely with the accounting department to ensure the correct integration of all information needed to guarantee accuracy in billings, payment applications, change orders, direct cost, labor cost, and related financial data.
• Collaborate closely with the project management team, executive management personnel, subcontractors, and, when necessary, client representatives.
• Take ownership of cost engineering, cost estimation, cost analysis, and control activities for projects with significant non-routine requirements, or for proposal estimating activities requiring a moderate degree of technical skill and experience.
• Ensure quality, accuracy, consistency, and spend profile; perform change management and provide transparency in all cost management deliverables.
• Maintain ownership of the cost control function and ensure the integrity of cost and forecast reporting.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of project cost engineering experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in the construction industry.
• Knowledge of project development stages, procurement, project controls, and construction execution practices is required.
• Working knowledge of applicable software such as PMWeb or similar project portfolio management tools, DataServ, Excel, JD Edwards, or related programs.
• Effective problem‑solving skills.
• Results oriented and able to deliver on customer commitments.
• Travel to sites nationwide may be required.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive annual salary based on qualifications, skills, training, experience, and location.
• Discretionary annual bonus subject to company performance and individual contribution.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision plans; 401(k) with matching; generous PTO and paid company holidays; employee assistance program; flexible spending accounts; life insurance; disability coverage; learning and development programs; and other applicable benefits.